


Sleight of Hand

by brawltogethernow



Series: strung along [3]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: "free falling" refrain playing in the background, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fate, Gen, Platonic Soulmates, Pre-Series, Red String of Fate, the baffling majesties thereof
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 16:39:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3256973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brawltogethernow/pseuds/brawltogethernow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Legerdemain, from the French:<br/>• skillful use of the hands when performing conjuring tricks<br/>• trickery</p><p>(It's a trick, but that's the fun part.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleight of Hand

It was a lovely night. The air was clear, the sky was a bright blue barely scudded with purple clouds, and police sirens _woo_ ed persistently in the distance. The wind wasn't strong enough to throw off aim with irregular projectiles, but was just there enough to make a cape flare in an aesthetically positive way.

Toichi was testing out a grappling hook. If it worked, he could keep his easy lead in the competition for the lovely sapphire he'd liberated from a traveling jewelry collection hosted in a Nishinomiya museum. If it didn't, he'd selected a swing between two buildings where he was fairly certain he could manage a fall from just about any point along the arc. He _hoped_ it would work. Grappling hooks looked great in comics and the like. He had always wanted to incorporate one into his act, but there had never been an appropriate opportunity on stage.

As he aimed the hook and began to line up his shot, the here-and-not string situated on his right trigger finger caught a beam of moonlight and flickered into visibility, leading away to a shoal of flashing police lights. Oh ho ho! Tonight was going to be a fine chase indeed!

The connection was a most unusual one, by most unfabricated accounts he'd collected. He had no idea how it worked, honestly. He was a little afraid to question it, or otherwise examine the phenomenon too closely. Call it a performer's superstitiousness.

But when he did consider it, he thought it might have been to preserve the balance. Ginzo, he thought, was a fine fellow. _Inspector Nakamori_ was the Kaitou Kid's natural enemy. A fine game, altogether—a story worthy of a certain writer at the end of one of his other strings. More importantly, it was a relationship predicated on a balance which a standard indicator would have overturned. Fate, he was convinced, couldn't be as straightforward as people trying to understand its wiles tried to make it seem.

But however that string worked, if it had chosen to make an appearance tonight, the man at the other end wouldn't be far behind. The distance was likely the only thing that had made him miss quite a shout. He took the shot, jumping as soon as it connected. Best away before the good inspector made his appearance!

Yes, Toichi thought as air rushed past his face, cape streaming behind him, fate was indeed an intricate dance. The woman he loved, a sky-satin string on his other pointer finger herself, would say—

The brick the pincher points of the "hook" had dug into to achieve their purchase gave way, and he felt the changing course right before he registered that the wire was no longer providing resistance. The sensation of free fall really was quite unpleasant, he thought, hastening to unfold and correct with the glider. But well, free fall was a risk of the job, you know!


End file.
